Despite extensive media coverage and growing public awareness, identify theft affected an estimated 27 million victims over the past 5 years. The crime of identity theft can be difficult to track because it takes many forms and is used to facilitate other crimes, such as credit card fraud, immigration fraud, Internet scams, and terrorism.

Recent studies have found that identity theft victims often suffer the same emotional consequences as victims of other crimes.1 Victims are often left “holding the bag” after an identity theft or fraud; they must repair their credit, prevent further misuse of their personal information, and possibly fight lawsuits or prosecution. These efforts may take days, weeks, or even years.

More research on this and other aspects of identity theft crime is urgently needed.

OVC is helping to raise awareness of identity theft's consequences for victims and has sponsored several initiatives to help victims of identity theft. OVC also supports service providers, allied professionals, law enforcement, and others tasked with helping victims.

OVC also participates in several federal working groups that share information and foster collaboration in addressing the myriad issues associated with identity theft.

Not only does identity theft rob a victim of money and time, but it can also land that victim in court or even jail, falsely accused of crimes committed in his or her name. In a recent survey, 12 percent of respondents reported that warrants had been issued in the victim's name.* Victims may have difficulty proving to a company, agency, or credit bureau that they are the victim and not the perpetrator, even when a police report has been filed.

OVC has funded a demonstration program to help consumers avoid these problems and set the record straight—the Ohio Attorney General's Identity Theft Verification Passport Program. As of February 2005, Ohio victims of identity theft may apply for a “passport” after filing a police report. Using biometric and other technologies to create digital identifiers, the passport helps victims identify and/or defend themselves against fraudulent criminal charges, restore credit, and prevent further misuse of their personal information. The program also prevents duplicate entries of the victim's information.

The program has conducted more than 25 trainings for law enforcement, involving nearly 300 agencies and 600 officers. Program staff conducted presentations for victims in several Ohio cities during National Consumer Protection Week (February 6-12, 2005). If the program proves to be effective, OVC anticipates working with other states that want to implement a passport program, if funding is available.

Founded by victims of identity theft, the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) was one of six recipients of OVC's 2004 National Crime Victims' Service Award. ITRC offers many resources and services for victims, consumers, and businesses seeking to prevent or deal with identity theft. The center is also a resource for law enforcement agencies, legislators, and the media.

Available from ITRC:

Scam alerts that are updated frequently.

Detailed guides, fact sheets, and advice for victims.

Resources to help businesses prevent security breaches and assess risk.

In 2004, OVC sponsored a National Institute of Justice (NIJ) study, which found that ITRC provided a valuable service to victims of identity theft. Researchers recommended further documentation of the center's methods and resources. NIJ is sponsoring development of a resource guide for serving victims of identity theft, drawn from ITRC's extensive experience, due to be completed in 2008.

Identity theft is of urgent concern to businesses and financial institutions who are potential victims, to police or other public officials who protect and advise victims, and to government agencies and criminal justice personnel who must devote resources to investigate and prosecute identity theft cases. OVC sponsors education, outreach, and training to help these professionals help victims of identity theft.

Education and Outreach

OVC conducts many activities to raise awareness about identity theft issues and address needs in the victim assistance field:

In May 2007, OVC, along with the Office of the Chief Financial Officer, briefed Office of Justice Programs managers and supervisors on new federal privacy policies and security breach notification procedures concerning personally identifiable information and the relevant and timely recommendations found in the President's Task Force Report on Combating Identity Theft.

In June 2007, OVC conducted a national victim service provider training titled “Identity Theft: Supporting Victims' Financial and Emotional Recovery.”

In August 2007, OVC launched a national program to respond to the needs of identity theft victims and made available $2 million for this effort, which will fund four programs at the national, regional, state, and city levels. The purpose of the grant is to support programs that provide assistance to victims of identity theft and financial fraud nationwide, encourage expansion of existing services to reach this often underserved population, and strengthen the ability of local law enforcement agencies and victim service providers to assist these victims.

OVC and the National Institute of Justice are working collaboratively on a victim assistance guide so that programs that already serve victims can expand their reach and address the often complex issues that confront victims of identity theft. The assistance guide is in final draft and is expected to be published in 2008.

In addition, OVC staffs the OJP Working Group on Identity Theft, which meets regularly to provide an organized forum for bureaus, program offices, and partnering agencies to discuss identity theft issues, create partnering opportunities, and find solutions to problems created by identity theft. OVC also participates in federal working groups that share information and foster collaboration in addressing the myriad issues associated with identity theft. These groups meet regularly to help implement the recommendations found in the President's Task Force on Identity Theft.

Training

OVC's Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC) consultants deliver workshops or tailored trainings for victim service providers, law enforcement, or allied professionals at conferences and other events. In the past, TTAC has assisted in an FBI training on the impact of identity theft on victims. TTAC has conducted workshops on identity theft at the National Organization for Victim Assistance Conference, the Indian Nations Conference, and Victims of Crime Act Administrator National Conferences, among others. As a cosponsor of the National White Collar Crime Center's annual Economic Crime Summits, OVC presented a training track on assisting identity theft victims at three regional training sessions in 2005.

OVC maintains a Web page covering identity theft, with links to federal agencies, national organizations, credit monitoring companies, and state victim assistance agencies and compensation programs. Also included are links to OVC publications and videos that help service providers assist fraud victims. Visit OVC Identity Theft page.

Services for Crime Victims

OVC hosts a comprehensive database of victim service providers in the United States and abroad-the Directory of Crime Victim Services.* Service providers looking to make a referral for a victim of identity theft can easily search the database by state, zip code, and topic to find programs.

Fraud Victimization

There are many forms of fraud, and many related victims' issues, including the emotional impact of fraud victimization. OVC's Fraud Web page lists resources for victims, service providers, and trainers.

A wealth of information is available for identity theft victims, as well as consumers and businesses. Help is also available for service providers and allied professionals who assist identity theft victims. Some important sources are listed below.

Congress designated the Federal Trade Commission as the lead federal agency on identity theft, to inform consumers and victims and to collect reports. FTC's Web page has tips to help consumers avoid identity theft or report and address the consequences of identity theft. The Identity Theft Data Clearinghouse publishes annual reports on national and state ID theft statistics and trends.

FTC's Consumer Sentinel Web site and service center for victims, law enforcement, policymakers, and others interested in data and trends in the field includes a restricted-access Web site where law enforcement may access consumer complaints about identity theft and other fraud.

BBBOnline. The Better Business Bureau sponsors BBBOnline for businesses affected by or seeking to prevent identity theft fraud and loss.

For Practitioners, Policymakers, and Researchers

Comprehensive Review and Bibliography. The National Institute of Justice sponsored a major study that comprehensively compiled and reviewed scientific studies and other sources of information about identity theft. See Identity Theft Literature Review.

Resource Guide for Victim Service Providers (forthcoming). Through the National Institute of Justice, OVC is funding development of a resource guide for victim service organizations about serving identity theft victims. Look for the guide in late 2008.

Just for Police.

The Office of Community Oriented Policing Services published a guide to help law enforcement officers develop local responses to identity theft and to measure the effectiveness of police response. Access the Identity Theft guide.

For FTC resources for law enforcement, visit the FTC Web site and click on “Law Enforcement.”

Conclusion

OVC will continue to take a prominent role in federal efforts addressing identity theft victimization and to assist law enforcement, prosecutors, victim advocates, and state agencies through education, outreach, research, and innovative programs to help victims recover.

1. See “The Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC) Releases Its Second Identity Theft Victimization Study,” press release, September 14, 2005. ITRC's study calls for more research into the long-term emotional impact on victims. Another study sponsored by OVC through the National Institute of Justice found that “Individuals suffer various types of additional 'costs' as a result of their victimization . . . [including] the time and effort required to resolve various problems created by the theft, the emotional impact or feeling of 'violation' that often results, and the frustration of being harassed by debt collectors or dealing with various agencies in trying to resolve problems.” See G.R. Newman and M.M. McNally, Identity Theft Literature Review, January 2005: 34.